It's Not Too Late
by Neji Tetsu
Summary: Sasuke confesses his feelings for Naruto, but will Naruto return them? SasuNaru][emo!Sasuke]
1. Confession

-1**AN:** This is my first fic, so be gentle, okay? ..; I have absolutely no experience in writing fanfics so…

**Pairing:** NaruSasu. Yes, Sasuke-kun is infact uke in this one I just think it's cute

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto, or any of the characters. I really wish I did, but they belong to Masashi Kishimoto-sensei.

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It started out as a very close friendship. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, best friends and rivals. Every day they would spar and try to out-do each other until one or the other of them either passed out or collapsed from exhaustion. That was how it was for the two of them, and that was how they thought it would always be. But somehow, the powers that be had another plan for the unlikely pair.

"Naruto, you idiot!" Sasuke snapped, shoving his hair back with both hands. Their other teammate Haruno Sakura was moving into a new house, and Naruto had successfully broken an old porcelain cat.

"I didn't mean to!" The blond retorted, now in a state of panic at the thought of Sakura's revenge.

As if on cue, though, the girl walked out of her old empty home and her sea-green eyes went wide.

"Naruto! What did you do?!" Her hands flew to her hair, gripping it in frustration.

The kyuubi boy whimpered, "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, I really am! It just slipped! I didn't mean to drop it!" He pleaded, trying his best not to think about his physical state after this conversation.

The girl twitched, her anger obvious.

-CHA! I SHOULD KILL YOU WHERE YOU STAND!- Inner Sakura shook her fists. Outer Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "Alright, brat. Pick it up." She growled through her clenched teeth. Naruto quickly obeyed, putting back together the shattered pieces of the little cat, holding them in his hands as if they were soon to crumble into dust. The pink-haired girl held a box in front of him, "Put it in."

Again, Naruto obeyed.

"Now leave…" The boy jumped and ran. Sasuke smirked, shaking his head. He knew Naruto was crazy about the girl, and even if she told him to walk off a cliff he'd do it. Sakura handed the box to her mother as she walked by, then turned to Sasuke and smiled.  
"So Sasuke-kun, do you want to-"

"No, I don't think so," he said, more passively than rudely and he declined her tenth offer for a date. The girl sighed and hung her head.

"Maybe-"  
"I'll be busy tomorrow… And the day after that."

"You know, you and Naruto hang out a lot, nowadays… How come? You got a little sumthin' sumthin' for him?" Sakura put her hands on her hips, swaying them with her last words. Sasuke almost choked.

"What brought that up?"

"I dunno, maybe it was the way you're always looking at him like a lost puppy?" Sakura was either in a bad mood or finally figured out Sasuke didn't like her; otherwise she'd have walked off by now.

"I do not!"

"You're being defensive, Sasu-kun,"

"No I'm not…"  
"Are."

"Not."

This continued for ten minutes until Sasuke growled and stalked off, claiming he had better things to do that argue with her.

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After Sasuke got home that night, he layed on his bed, dog-tired and muscles aching. After helping his teammate move, he and Naruto sparred for a good five hours, so it was well into the night by the time they parted. Staring up at the ceiling, he wondered. What if Sakura was right? Did he really have feelings for Naruto? And if he did, why now?

These questions haunted him well into the night, resulting in strange dreams and slight insomnia. By the time he'd managed falling asleep, it was daybreak and a mission would be set for Cell 7 in an hour.

His alarm clock buzzed loudly in his ear. Sasuke opened one dark eye, glared at the clock, then opened the other and slammed his fist on the infernal contraption. After dragging himself out of bed, he showered and got dressed.

On the training field he was met with a very loud, "Awww! Sasuke! You're adorable!" He soon figured out why. Since the day Sakura had met him, she'd seen him with his hair spiked in the back. Today, after getting out of the shower the only thing he remembered was lining his eyes in black. His head had been swimming in thoughts of the kyuubi host and fixing his hair had been lost, so today, instead of spikes, it was just shaggy and unruly.

He grumbled something under his breath as the girl jumped him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. Rolling his eyes, he gently pushed her back and looked around.

Kakashi was late- Again.

Three hours later and with not a second to spare, the irresponsible Jonin showed up, Icha Icha Paradisu in hand. When Sakura and Naruto were through complaining about him being late, he pocketed the book and looked at all three of his brats.

"Alright, guys, today's mission is quite simple," he started in a bored, I-really-don't-want-to-be-here-right-now voice, "Sasuke, Naruto. Your job is to locate a gang of little miscreants from a nearby village. They've been vandalizing farmhouses and such for two months now. Sakura, you job is to get back a scroll that they've stolen."

The three looked at him awkwardly, "I gave you your instructions, now go." He waved them off and each took to the trees. Kakashi smiled behind his mask, pulling his book out again and leaning against a tree to wait for a certain chuunin to appear.

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The sun had nearly set and the boys hadn't found any trace of the group they were after. They stopped under a tall oak and sat down to rest. Side by side and leaning against the trunk, Sasuke and Naruto started to drift off to sleep. Naruto leaned his head on his companion's shoulder, electric blue eyes lightly closed.

Sasuke kept himself awake. A good shinobi knew not to let down his guard anywhere, no matter what. He looked down at Naruto and grinned in spite of himself. He cared for the blond so much it almost hurt, but he knew he could never tell him. It would put their friendship at stake, and Sasuke had lost enough already to know he couldn't handle a loss like that. The whisker-marked boy took up the space in his heart that being orphaned had left. He helped close the wound in his psyche left by witnessing the Uchiha massacre, and yet Naruto didn't even know it. He was like a drug to the young avenger, something he was addicted to. Something that kept him grounded.  
The knot in his throat tightened. Sasuke bit his lip, leaning his head back against the tree for a moment before he carefully slipped away from Naruto, without waking him up. He quickly jumped up to a high branch in the tree, then sat in a two-way fork. The moon was full and the light it cast gave Sasuke a good view of the surroundings. He tilted his head back against the branch and let a small tear fall.

_Why does it hurt so much?_ He thought, _I'd give anything to be able to say how much I love him…_

"Is pain all I'm ever supposed to feel?" Sasuke directed his question toward the moon, staring at it as if it were his last hope on earth. He shook his head, "I can't think like that… Things will get better."

_It hasn't yet… Has it Sasuke? _ The voice in his head made him shudder. It had a point. Even after getting out of the Academy, nothing had gotten better. Sure, he'd managed to get a friend or two, but he wasn't any closer to getting his revenge.

He looked down to his bleeding arm. The only way to cope came from a chipped old kunai. The only pain he felt he could control came from that small iron blade. Sasuke watched the blood drip down his hand and onto a branch below. He'd never tell Naruto how he felt. He couldn't. Ripping a bandage from a small roll in his pocket, he wrapped his arm, then looked up one last time before heading back down the tree. Sasuke landed silently next to Naruto, stroking his hair for a moment before he, too, fell asleep.

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By morning, a chill had set over the forest. Naruto was lucky; He had that ridiculous orange jacket and pants. Sasuke on the other hand was wearing shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.

"Are you sure you don't want my jacket, Sasuke?"  
"Yes, now would you drop it?"  
"Jeez, sorry. What's got you all upset?"

Sasuke bit the inside of his lip, still hugging himself as they walked in a feeble attempt to keep out the chill. He lowered his eyes to the ground. He quickly looked up when he felt something on his shoulders, realizing it was Naruto's orange jacket.

"You'll get sick, Sasuke, if you keep goin' like that," he said, "Believe it…" Sasuke couldn't help but let a grin slip. Naruto always seemed to put his team's well-being before his own when it came to these things. He slipped his arms into the jacket, then crossed them over his chest.

"Thanks…"

Naruto flashed one of his toothy grins, folding his own arms behind his head, eyes slit like a baby fox.

"I've never really seen you smile like that," the blond said casually.

"I've never really had a reason…"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, "Well why are you smiling now then? Is there a reason?"

Sasuke nodded.

"What is it?"

"You honestly think I'll tell?"

Naruto nodded quickly, "Yup. 'Cause you always tell me everything. That's what best friends do right?" He smiled again. Sasuke nodded.

"Y-yeah… You wouldn't like the answer… Just let it go, dobe." The fox boy frowned but, surprisingly, didn't push the subject. Sasuke let his arms fall to his sides. Naruto nudged the back of one of them with his own hand, glancing sideways at Sasuke. The enigmatic Uchiha turned his hand slightly, letting the other boy take it.

"You're keeping something from me…" Naruto said softly, looking down.

"Why do you say that?" Sasuke asked quickly.

"Because you had a nervous reaction to that question. Your hand is tense and colder than usual and you've only called me dobe once and idiot twice. I can read you like a book, Sasu, you can't hide stuff from me, believe it." Sasuke was shocked. He had no idea Naruto could be so analytical.

"I can't tell you…"

"Why not?" Naruto had stopped walking, but kept a hold of the other boy's hand, a concerned look in his bright blue eyes. Sasuke stopped as well, his breath catching as a soft whimper threatened to escape.

"Sasuke… Tell me."

"I…" He paused, "Naruto…" He motioned for the boy to sit. Once they were both on the ground, Sasuke ran his fingers through his un-spiked shaggy hair, "It's something I'd have to explain…"

Naruto nodded, "Well?"

"I care about you… A lot. More than I probably should, and I know I couldn't tell you because I was afraid of your reaction… But… Before you say anything, I just want you to know; you're like my drug, Naruto. You're something that heals me like nothing else can. You took up all of the empty space in my heart, healed it, and…" By then, Sasuke's voice was weak and shaky. "I love you… so much it hurts…"

Naruto went dead silent. Sasuke's heart sank into the pit of his gut and he quickly stood up, "I told you, you wouldn't like the answer." His voice cracked and he turned his back to the other, feeling a hot tear run down his cheek and drip to the ground, "I'm sorry…

"Sasuke, I…" Naruto stopped, looking almost scared, then transporting away.

Sasuke could have sworn his heart stopped. He knees gave out, sending him to the ground. _What have I just done…_ His hand flew to his kunai holster, pulling out the aged blade. He pushed back the arm warmer on his left arm, then slid the cold blade across his wrist, hand clenching.

"I shouldn't have said anything… I shouldn't have said anything…" Sasuke doubled over, holding his head in his hands and cried the hardest he had in years.


	2. Lost & Found

The next few days flew by and Sasuke couldn't help but notice that Naruto avoided him. He never even picked fights or asked for a round or two of sparring. Sasuke's heart ached more and more by the day and before he knew it, he was almost praying for death to come. He became reckless during missions and Kakashi noticed this and pulled the boy aside.

"Sasuke, talk to me." He said. Although his expression didn't show it, his voice held a slight hint of concern.

Sasuke schooled his expression to one of cool indifference, "What do you mean?"

"Sasuke..." Kakashi's tone made the boy flinch.

"I don't want to talk about it, okay, Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Kakashi noticed a subtle wince, but dismissed it and let the boy go back to his training, keeping a weary eye on him. He knew how deeply the Uchiha felt for the fox boy. The fact that _any _Uchiha cared for another living soul was a joke in itself, but when the occasion came along, it never went without notice. Usually there were always barely traceable hints that one could only notice if looking underneath the underneath at what said Uchiha was thinking, feeling. Just like the jonin, himself, the Uchiha clan had been an enigma to everyone and sometimes even themselves. He sighed, crossing one arm over his chest while the other held an Icha Icha novel.

After their lesson was over, Cell number 7 was off the training grounds. Kakashi headed home, Sakura headed towards her own new home and Naruto and Sasuke were left alone. Just walking. The raven-haired boy felt a pang of dread in his heart when Naruto said his name.

"Yeah?..."

"Uhm... A-about last week," The fox boy rubbed the back of his neck almost nervously. Nothing ever really set Naruto on edge, but whatever it was had him almost shaking.

"I told you I was sorry, alright? Just forget it ever happened." Sasuke said coldly, shoving his hands in his pockets. He glared at the ground under him, as if to burn hole into it. He felt a knot rise in his throat as the boys walked side by side. If he said anything, he knew his voice would crack and he'd break down right in front of Naruto.

"I know, but..." The blond rolled his shoulders a bit, eyes downcast before he jerked them up to Sasuke, "I don't know what you want me to say, I mean... I know we're close and everything but..."  
"That's why I said forget it!" Sasuke snapped. His voice cracked and as soon as his mind registered how his tone came out, the boy fled, leaving a confused Naruto in his dust.

The fox rubbed the back of his neck again, looking down again. He never wanted to hurt the Uchiha, but he wasn't sure if there was anything he could say to the boy with fix their problem. Naruto had never been this confused in his life. He was caught between Sakura and Sasuke, with no idea of who to be with. Brushing back his wild blonde hair, he sighed and made his way to Ichiraku.

Sasuke, once home, sighed, falling back on his bed. He gritted his teeth a bit, rolling onto his stomach and wrapping his arms around his pillow, forcing his eyes shut and taking in a shaky breath. He had to get a hold of himself before this whole thing went over board. No... He had to stop it. Sasuke slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and hopping off the bed. He made his way to the front door, hesitating a moment before opening it and running out. There was only one place the other boy would be at this time of day, and that was Sasuke's destination. Moments later, he got to the resturant and tugged Naruto's sleeve, jerking the blonde out of a daydream.

"Wha-? Oh... Hey, Sasuke, what's up?" The boy looked at him, blinking his crystal blue eyes a few times.

"Naruto, I just wanted you to know that I really am sorry... You can believe it if you want, I don't care. But I love you, and I have for awhile. Nothing you could ever say can change that," the Uchiha's voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke. Naruto barely caught it, but luckily understood what Sasuke was saying to him.

"It's..." Naruto sighed, "It's okay, Sasuke, don't worry about it."

The raven-haired boy nodded, hands in his pockets, "Right... Well, I guess I'll see you later, then." With that he turned and walked away from Ichiraku and Naruto, back to the Uchiha Estate and the solution to his problem. Once again, he faced his bedroom window, staring out at the cherry trees which stood in such tragic beauty. The trees themselves witnessed the massacre. Witnessed the bloodshed and fear, soaked the fallen blood into their roots. Ever since that day, the blossoms had held more red. They'd been much darker, a constant reminder of the horrors of what happened those years ago. Sasuke looked at them a final time that night, for he was sure it would be his last vision before darkness took him.

The door flew open to his room and both Naruto and Sakura came in with a unified scream of, "Sasuke! Stop!"

The boy turned, dropping the kunai to the floor at the sight of two terrified and sad faces. "Sasuke, please. Don't do this!" Sakura held her hands to her chest, biting one thumbnail to try and hold back her tears. Her sea green eyes filled with undoubted worry. Naruto, himself, seemed speechless.  
"And why shouldn't I?" Sasuke's voice shook. His eyes were wide with an unusual gleam in them that made him look all too much like his brother. Sakura shuddered at this, but kept her ground, as did her teammate.

"Sasuke, we both need you!" The girl finally let go, tears falling in uncontrolled streams, "You're a part of Cell 7! You're family!" Sasuke froze, gritting his teeth and turning his back to them.

"Shut up!" He snapped, "We're not family, Sakura! We never have been and never will be, so forget it!"  
Naruto looked back at Sakura, "Let me talk to him..." He said. Sakura nodded, backing out of the room slowly and closing the door.

"Sasuke, please think about this. It's a permanent solution to a temporary problem-"  
"This isn't temporary, Naruto!" Sasuke took a trembling breath, still with his back to the other. His voice softened considerably then, "I was stupid to think you'd feel the same for me. It's too late! Stupid!" He slammed his head on the wall, then did it again and again with more force each time until blood stained it and his forehead. Without his hitai-ate to protect it, he created a bloody mess before Naruto could move to stop him. One last bang and Sasuke slid to the floor on his chest, holding his head and looking, for the most part, dizzy. Naruto was frozen to the spot. Sasuke had really lost it, and all because of him.

He waited for a minute until he heared whimpering to move. Naruto, very carefully, wrapped his arms around Sasuke's shoulders, "Calm down," he whispered, resting his head over Sasuke's shoulder so what their cheeks were touching. He didn't mind the blood that leaked onto his own hitai-ate, or the tears mixed with the drops that fell on his arms one after the other. He didn't mind it, because he knew what it was like to hurt. Naruto felt his heart being roughly pulled at as Sasuke completely broke. It killed him to see his hero break down. That's right; Hero.

Sasuke had been Naruto's hero since they'd met. The stoic boy had been so strong, driven by a force of hate and bloodlust that had gone unseen by everyone Cell 7 came across, and even amongst the team itself. Sasuke had been the object of affection for every female in Konoha, and possibly even beyond. Naruto knew that deep down, Sasuke was scared. Terrified for his life and for the lives of his team. He knew that deep down inside, Sasuke was just a little boy who needed someone to love, and for that someone, him, to love him back. The lonely Uchiha boy was like a lost child, afraid of never being found. Afraid of dying alone and far from home.

The two sat there, and throughout the night, Sasuke cried. Harder than he ever had, but still almost as silent as a church mouse. Naruto knew he couldn't leave the boy, not in a million years or even if he tried. After a few hours passed the raven-haired boy had fallen asleep in the fox's arms.  
"I love you Uchiha, Sasuke," Naruto whispered, gently stroking the other's messy hair. "Believe it..."


End file.
